1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single shot camera and, more particularly, to a camera which is suspended from the ends of a strap encircling the neck of the user or photographer and adapted to take a picture as the user removes the case from the camera.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is useful in two somewhat unrelated areas; first of all, as will appear below, the light, portable, one-shot camera of the present invention can be used by children, women or older people who are generally considered to be easy "targets" for criminals in places where crimes against the person are likely to be committed; secondly, this same light, portable, one-shot camera can be used to advantage by sky divers.
With regard to the possible victims of crime as referred to above, if the child, woman or older person had a camera of the present invention around his or her neck, he or she would be provided with a measure of psychological or actual protection not previously available. That is, when approached by a person apparently intent upon inflicting harm, the child, woman or older person need merely pull down on the camera case, automatically taking a picture with the camera. Since the camera is initially hanging down in front of the wearer, the picture will be that of the possible criminal. The camera and case will now be hanging at opposite ends of the strap, so the child, woman or older person should then fling the camera as far as he or she can away from this other person, and then run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. The putative criminal now has two choices: he can go after the potential victim or he can go after the camera. Since his principal concern is in not getting "caught", he will normally go after the camera, thus allowing the potential victim to escape. To the extent that the putative criminal obtains the camera, then it becomes "expendable" from the standpoint of the person who was "wearing" the same up to that time.
Sky divers have difficulty taking pictures when they are plumetting earthward over a hundred miles an hour. The conventional cameras are heavy and cumbersome. These cameras are sometimes difficult to aim properly at an object to be photographed. The present invention provides a one-shot camera which is light, portable and which may also be provided with a wide angle lens. As far as the use in connection with sky divers is concerned, the camera of the present invention is not necessarily "expendable."
A preliminary patentability search was conducted in relation to the present invention and the following patents were uncovered in the search:
______________________________________ Inventor U.S. Pat. No. Date ______________________________________ Fairman 367,610 August 2, 1887 Maul 757,825 April 19, 1904 London et al 794,992 July 18, 1905 Goldstein 1,007,440 October 31, 1911 Githens et al 2,172,348 September 12, 1939 ______________________________________
The patents to Fairman and Maul relate to aerial photography broadly but do not show or suggest the present invention. The patent to London et al relates to a plate holder for a camera and is not believed to be pertinent. The patent to Goldstein relates to a photographic magazine camera and is not believed to be pertinent. The patent to Githens et al shows a camera and strap arrangement but is not believed to be pertinent to the present invention.